Plate cylinder for rotary printing presses



PLATE CYLINDER FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Filed May l0, 1954 Patented Apr. 21, 17936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Charles assignor to William Swift,

Auckland, New Zealand,

Multichrome Press Equipment Limited, Auckland, New Zealand, a company of New Zealand Application May 10, 1934, Serial No. 724,973

In New Claims.

This invention relates to the cylinders of rotary printing presses to which the plates of stereotype or like are secured, the objects of the present invention being the provision of means for application to present general forms of cylinder for adapting same to permit of adjustable movements of each plate in circumferential and longitudinal directions so that when printing coloured work, correct register of the colours can be obtained without removal of the plates, or cutting, filing or packing same; further objects of the invention being the provision of means which will enable the full page plates to be divided up into four quarter page size plates or two half page size plates or a combination of half and quarter page sized plates, such means enabling desired independent adjustable movements of said half or quarter page size plates for obtaining correct register thereof.

While exact register is not of importance for ordinary newspaper printing purposes, correct register is essential for colour printing so that if obtained on the cylinders, newspapers or the like could be satisfactorily produced in a number of colours.

With present general forms of cylinder the plates can be adjustably moved in circumferential directions but not in longitudinal directions and therefore the desired correct register is not obtained.

With newspaper printing, coloured work Would necessarily increase the cost of a full page advertisement and therefore to enable half or quarter pages to be printed in colour, it is necessary that the plate cylinders be adapted to take the plates corresponding to such portions of a page and be capable of giving correct register of such plates.

While the present invention has been specially devised with the object of providing means for application to existing rotary printing press cylinders whereby each plate to be secured thereto is held in such manner as to be independently lockable and independently adjustable in longitudinal and circumferential directions on the cylinder, it will of course be understood that the ambit of the invention also includes its application tofuture presses with obvious modications. In the case of new presses it will be apparent that there is greater scope for the designer in applying the principle of my invention than is possible in the satisfactory alterations of existing apparatus.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing which illus.-

Zealand May 30, 1933 trates the preferred embodiment thereof as applied to existing apparatus.

Fig. 1 shors an elevation of half a double width cylinder having three dogs per plate and having the improvements applied for taking and permitting adjustments of quarter or half page size plates.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged partial elevation of mid-page quadrants.

Fig. 2a is a transverse section through a portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged sectional elevation through the movable centre margin ring.

Fig. 4 shows a sectional elevation through the movable centre margin ring across one of the holding setscrews.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing the splitting up of an inside centre dog into adjustable quarters for double width machines.

Fig. '7 is a side View of Fig. 6 in section through the upper right dog quarter and through the lower left dog quarter.

Fig. 8 shows a sectional elevation of the inside dogs oi modied form for use on a three dog machine and Fig. 9 is asectional side elevation on line A-B of Fig. 8. Y

Before proceeding to describe the apparatus of the invention, consideration will be given to the present conditions to be met With in cylinder arrangements.

At present there are two general forms of rotary printing press in use for newspaper work in particular, these being known as single width and double width machines, the single width machine having cylinders for receiving two plates diametrically opposite to each other at each side of the centre margin ring whereas the double Width machines have cylinders which have two plates side by` side and two further plates diametrically opposite thereto at each side of the centre margin ring.

Furthermore, the present plate cylinders have sets of three or sets of four dogs per full page plate and accordingly the machine with sets of three dogs requires more alteration for the purposes of the present invention than machines with sets of four dogs, in that in the latter case l two dogs will engage each quarter plate (or half page plate if divided to print across a page) whereas with sets of three dogs it is necessary to divide the centre dogs of such sets.

In the accompanying drawing (Fig. 1) the most complicated. conditions have been shown,

namely a double width machine having sets of three dogs, in that after describing thisform, the simpler arrangements and conditions will be obvious to those conversant with the art.

The present rigid form of centre margin ring is removed from the cylinder I and within the circumferential groove 2 left in said cylinder I a new movable centre ring 3 is provided (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5.)

This movable centre ring 3 has a cross section similar to present centre margin rings but is made up of two separate and equal portions 4 and 5 in width and divided circumferentially into quadrants 4A and 5A, the ring 3 in such form not being equal in width to the width of the cylinder groove 2 within which it ts but having clearance therein for side movements as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

At intervals the raised bevelled portions 6 and I of the ring 3 which engage the plates are cut away to take anchor plates 8, there being setscrews 9 passing through said anchor plates 8 and slotted holes I6 (see Fig. 5) in the ring 3 which hold the said ring within the groove 2, the anchor plates 8 however permitting side movements of the quadrants 4A and 5A.

Transversely through the base portion of each quadrant 4A and 5A, there are holes II in staggered relationship (see Figs. 3 and 5) for freely enclosing compression springs I2, the springs I2 through one ring portion 4 tending to press the other ring portion 5 against the cylinder groove wall I3 and vice versa, there being a large member of these springs I2 disposed around the ring 3 so that said springs I2 exert a considerable pressure on each quadrant 4A or 5A tending to press them' against the groove walls I 3.

The present inner or inside sets of three dogs are replaced by others I4, I5 and I6 (see Fig. l) the centre dog I5 of the set being described rst of all (see Fig. 6).

This dog I 5 is divided up 'circumferentially and longitudinally into four quarters, I 5A, I5B, I5C and I5D the quarters I5A and I5B being slidably dovetailed together (see Fig. '7) and the quarters I5C and ISD similarly slidably connected.

The quarters I5A and I 5B each house compression springs I'IA and I'lB which abut the quarters I 5C and I5D the two latter quarters having locking pins I 8 adapted to be pressed against the dogway I 9 by grub screws 20 adapted to be turned in known manner by key means (not shown.)

The floating rods 2I which pass along the cylinder I for moving up the dogs I4, I5 and I6 are left as at present in the case of dogs I4 and I6 but with the centre dog I5 the floating rod is divided lengthwise into equal portions 2IA and 2IB (see Fig. 6) and the ends thereof are slotted 22 and 23 and a keyway 24 provided to be engaged by a setscrew (not shown) suitably disposed through the cylinder for preventing rotation of the half rods 2 IA and 2 IB.

The dogs I4 and I6 which are similar to each other are not divided longitudinally and are therefore similar to dog I5 except in that quarters I 5A and I5B form one integral unit I4A and quarters I 5C and I5D form another integral unit I4B (see Fig. 1) therefore it will be obvious that in the case of these dogs I4 and I6 one heavy compression spring I'I 'could be disposed between units I4A and I4B in place of the two springs IIA and I'IB in the case of dog I5.

'I'he pairs of dogs intended to engage a single plate may be connected together by bevelled engaging bars 25 these only being desirable for the purpose of increasing the bearing surface of said dogs on the plates in view of the reduction of bearing surface of Said dogs in their respective dogways I9.

With the outer set of three dogs 26, 2I and 28 (see Fig. 1) the dogs 26 and 28 are left as at present but the centre dog 21 of the set is divided longitudinally, the two half dogs 27A and 21B being slidably dovetailed together (similar to Fig. 7 and adjustment screws 29A and 29B provided for each half dog.

To enable the full page size plates to be divided up into quarter page size plates necessitates the provision of further plate holding means which will be called mid-page quadrants.

The mid-page quadrants 36 comprise (see Figs. l and 2) pairs of quadrant shaped pieces 38A and 38B which encircle the cylinder I and are disposed thereon down the normal centre position of a full page size plate, there being a set of these quadrants 35 located between the movable centre ring 3 and the inside set of dogs I4, I 5 and I6, and a further set of quadrants 3i) between said inside set of dogs I4, I5 and I6 and the outside set of dogs 26, 21 and 28.

Each quadrant shaped piece 39A or 30B (see Fig. 2) has bevelled edges 3I for plate engagement and has legs 32 at right angles thereto in which there are slotted half holes 33, for receiving setscrews or like 34 which pass intothe cylinder, these setscrews 34 each engaging two quadrant pieces 38A or 30B in a manner which will permit of locking same to the cylinder I, or when slackened ofi, sideways movement; some of the legs 32 being adapted to engage within the present head lines grooves 35 of the 'cylinder I whereas the other legs 32 must be recessed 36 around their slotted half holes 33 so that the setscrew heads 34 will not project above type level.

In the inner faces of the quadrant shaped pieces 38A and 38B there are blind holes 31 at intervals which hold compression springs 38 which tend to move the pairs of quadrants 30A and 30B apart, link means 39 (see Fig. 1) let into the tops of the quadrants 38A and 30B limiting the extent to which said springs 38 can move the quadrants apart.

It will be understood that Fig. 1 shows only one side and one end of a double width cylinder and as full sized plates only occupy 180 of the cylinder I, there will be further sets of dogs to the other side of the cylinder and further repetition of the apparatus described at the right hand side of the movable centre ring 3, but as the plates at the right hand side of said movable centre ring 3 are not in line with those at the left hand side as shown (in order to get balan'ce and even running of the cylinder) the portion 5 (see Fig. l) of said movable centre ring 3 is broken or divided into quadrants 5A which will coincide with the plates at said right hand side, the position of the head lines groove 35 at the left hand side in relation to the head lines groove 35A of the right hand side indicating the relative positions of the plates at such opposite sides of the movable centre ring 3.

Now considering a single width cylinder having sets of three dogs, the arrangement thereof would be the same as shown in Fig. l except 1n that there would be no inner sets of dogs I4, I5 and I6 and one of the sets of mid-page quadrants 30 would be eliminated which would mean that the remaining set of mid-page quadrants 39 would be located substantially centrally between the outer set of dogs 26, 2'I and 28 and the movable centre ring 3.

It will be obvious that the greatest complicat'lon involved is theY adapting opresent sets of three. dogs to satisfactorily engage divided full sized page plates on their edges and therefore with cylinders having sets of four dogs, the apparatus is much simplied and a modified form ci inner dog is substituted on double width cylinders for the present inside dogs (see Figs. S and 9) the outer set of. four dogs requiring no alteration, being the same as dogs 26 and 28.

The modied form of inside dogs as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 comprise inside andY outside half dogs 40 and 4| both bored at 42 to receive a special rod 43 which will take the place of present floating rods and extend to within the dogway I9 of the outside dog in line therewith such rod 43 having a hexagcn or other suitably formed end 43A to permit of rotation or turning thereof.

The rod 43 is of reduced size 44 where it enters the outside haii dog 4| so as to present a shoulder to the latter, said half dog 4| enclosing a strong compression spring 45 which abuts the inside half dog 40 and tends to hold the outside half dog 4| against shoulder 45.

The rod 43 is further reduced in size 41 where it passes through the inside dog 4E) and cammed at 48 therein so as to engage opposed slidable keys 49 (see Fig. 9) which pass through. the inside dog 40 and are adapted to contact the dogway I9, a collar secured to the reduced end 41 of rod 43 holding said inside dog 40 on said rod 43.

In operation, considering the double width cylinder having the three dog arrangement as shown in Fig. l and assuming that quarter page sized plates are to be fitted, having moved the midpage quadrants nearest to the movable centre ring 3 to an outward position as allowed for by the slotted half holes 33, the two quarter plates are put on the cylinder I between centre ring quadrants 4A and mid-page quadrant pieces 30B, the mid-page quadrants 30 then being moved inward to engage said quarter plates.

The next two quarter plates are then placed between the mid-page quadrant pieces 33A and the inner set of dogs |4B |5C |5D and IBB and the latter are moved inward by operation of the adjustment screws 29, 29A and 29B which by causing the outer set of dogs 26, 21A 21B and 23 to move inward, cause said dogs to move the floating rod 2|, 2|A and 2|B inward.

As the centre ring quadrants 4A are all independently movable in longitudinal directions against the action of the compression springs |2, the inward movement of the inner set of dogs |4B 15C |51) and IBB, will cause the quarter plates next to the centre ring to be moved longitudinally on the cylinder and as said plates at present are able to move in circumferential directions `to a limited extent, the additional ability to move longitudinally will enable correct register to be obtained as a very small degree of movement (approximately one sixteenth of an inch in any direction) is all that is necessary.

The quarter plates in contact with the centre ring quadrants 4A having been registered, they are locked in position by tightening the setscrews 34 which engage legs 32 of the quadrant pieces 35B and then the next set of quarter plates is ready for registering.

This is done by movements of the inside dogs |4B, |50 |5D and |B, induced by screws 29, 29A and 22B in that if the said dogs are moved outwardly, the compression springs 38 between the quadrant pieces 33A and 35B will cause the pieces 430A to move outwardly and push the plates also outwardly to the limits as permitted by the links 33, therefore when correct register is obtained, these plates are locked in position by tightening the grub screws 20 (see Fig. '7) so that the locking pins I8 engage the dogways i9 and the dog unit |4B, dog quarters |5C and |5D and dog unit IBB become rigid, the quadrant pieces 33A being also locked by their setscrews 34.

Similarly a further two quarter plates are placed between the inner set of dogs |4A, |5A, |5B and IBA and the quadrant pieces 30B, and two further quarter plates between the quadrant pieces 3ilA and outside set of dogs 26, 21A 21B and 28.

By tightening up the outside set of dogs 25, 21A 21B and 22 the quarter plates next to the outside ones are independently adjustedv to give 1 correct register in that the dog unit |4A, dog quarters IEA and |5B and dog unit IBA can move in inward directions against the action of compression springs |1A and |1B.

When correct register is obtained for these quarter plates, the setscrews 34 are tightened to lock the quadrant pieces 33B, and the outside set of quarter plates are now adjusted and locked by the outside dogs 25, 21A, 21B and 2B, the adjustment screws ter having a known form of locking means for preventing rotation of said screws, the quadrant pieces 30A being also locked by their setscrews 34.

As previously suggested there are various combinations of quarter size page plates and half size page plates which may be applied and in coloured work of less than half page size, the quadrant pieces 30 and 30B could 'be replaced by semicircular pieces extending 189 around the cylinder from the head lines grooves 35 provided the pages are divided into two lengthwise half pages.

It will be obvious that by complet-e removal of any pair of quadrant pieces 30A and 30B a half page size plate extending across a page could be adjustably secure-d between the movable centre ring 3 and inner dogs or between the latter and outer dogs.

Now considering the inside dogs of modified form as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 suited for use on three dog machines where full pages only are required to be registered or on four dog machines for quarter page combinations, such dogs are moved up by operation of the adjustment if,

screws 25E so that the outer dogs (which would all be similar to dog 25 or 28) would push the rods 43 and their attached half dogs 43 and 4| inward and when correct register of the particular plate is obtained (in manner similar to that described) the rod 43 is given a half turn by wayof its hexagon portion 43A which will be disposed within an outer dogway, such halt` turn causing the cammed portion 48 to push the slidable keys 49 outward so that the inner half dog 40 will be rigidly secured to the cylinder.

The compression spring 46 will permit movement o the outer half dog 4| towards or away from the rigidly held inner half dog 4d thus enabling longitudinal engaged by said outer half dog 4 i.

From the foregoing, the operation in the case of single width cylinders will be obvious, such operation being simplified by the elimination or" one of the mid-page quadrants 3D and the inner 29, 29A and 29B of these latadjustment of the plate set of dogs, but it will be understood that the foregoing descriptions of operation cover only one quarter of the whole cylinder.

Thus with a single width machine with three 0r four dogs per plate, it will be seen that in order to obtain correct register of only full-page size plates, the only alteration required to the cylinder would be the provision of the movable centre ring 3.

If all the mid-page quadrants 30 are completely removed, the full size page plates could be fitted and adjusted for correct register and therefore it will be seen that all likely conditions are allowed for by the apparatus of the invention.

I claim:

1. A rotary printing press, comprising a plate-a holding cylinder, a center margin ring on said cylinder, dividing the same transversely, the said ring being fitted adjustably in a groove in said cylinder, adjustable dogs on said cylinder, delining together with said center ring the outside margins of a sheet to be printed, adjustable quadrants on said cylinder between said dogs and said center rings, the center ring, dogs, and quadrants permitting independent adjustment of the plates on the cylinders, and means in both said dogs and said quadrants for independently locking them in their adjusted positions to the cylinders.

2. A double width rotary printing press, comprising a cylinder, and means for adjusting the plates to be held on said cylinder independently of each other, both longitudinally and circumferentially of the cylinder, the said means comprising a center margin ring on said cylinder, adjustably mounted in a groove extending transversely around the middle of the cylinder, the

rality of plate-engaging portions, each said portion being movable laterally independently of the rest of the ring, inner and outer sets of dogs on said cylinder at one side of said center ring, the

inner dogs defining the margins of another sheet, said inner dogs to this end being divided circumferentially into two dog portions, movable independently towards and away from each other, compression springs between said dog portions tending to separate them and means for locking the separate dog portions to said cylinder in their adjusted position about properly positioned plates.

3. A rotary printing press, comprising a doublewidth plate cylinder, and means for adjusting the plates to be held on said cylinder, independently of each other, both longitudinally and circumferentially of the cylinder, the said means comprising a center margin ring disposed adjustably in a recess located centrally of said cylinder, transversely thereof, said ring consisting of a plurality of parts movable independently of each other for slight movement longitudinally of the cylinder, resilient means tending to centralize the ring and to resist said movement, inner and outer sets of dogs on said cylinder, the inner set and the center ring defining the margins of one sheet to be printed, and the outer and inner dogs defining the margin of another sheet, two sets of quadrants disposed one set between the inner dogs and the center ring, and the other set between the outer and inner dogs, the quadrants dening the midpoints of the sheets, each set of dogs being divided circumferentially so that the parts thereof Avcan move independently of each other, spring means between cooperating dog parts tending to keep them apart, and means for locking the dog parts to the cylinder in their adjusted positions.

4. As an element of a cylinder of a rotary printing press, said cylinder having an annular groove or recess disposed circumferentially about the middle thereof, a center margin ring tted loosely in said groove for slight movement therein longitudinally of the cylinder, said ring comprising a plurality of independently adjustable plate-engaging portions, resilient means tending to resist the longitudinal movement of said portions, and means for locking said center ring to the cylinder.

5. A rotary printing press, comprising a cylinder for holding printing plates, means on said cylinder for enabling longitudinal and circumferential adjustment of the plates on the cylinder, the said means comprising a center margin ring received loosely in a central circumferential slot extending around the middle of said cylinder, the said ring consisting of a plurality of plate-engaging parts each capable of individual and separate inward movement, means tending to oppose the said inward movement of the parts of the center ring, a set of adjustable dogs on said cylcenter ring defining the margins of a sheet to be printed, and further adjustable plate holding means on said cylinder between said ring and said dogs, to adjustably position and retain on the cylinder plates of sizes constituting predetermined fractions of a sheetsize plate.

6. A rotary printing press, comprising a double-width plate cylinder, and means for adjusting the plates to be held on said cylinder,

.independently of each other, both longitudinally and circumferentially of the cylinder, the said means comprising a center margin ring disposed in a recess located centrally of said two sets of quadrants disposed one set between the inner dogs and the center ring, set between the outer and inner dogs, the quadset of dogs being divided circumferentially so that the parts thereof can move independently of each other, spring means between cooperating dog gitudinally of the cylinder, means for locking the dog parts to the cylinder in their adjusted position, floating rods extending longitudinally of the cylinder for adjusting the dogs, the rod for the center of the inner set being divided longitudinally, and separate adjustment screws, one for each of the longitudinally divided parts of the center dog of the outer set.

7. A rotary printing press, comprising a cylinder for holding printing plates, means on said cylinder for enabling longitudinal and circumferential adjustment of the plates on the cylinder,

the said means comprising a center margin ring received loosely in a central circumferential slot extending around the middle of said cylinder, the said ring consisting of a plurality of plate-engaging parts each capable o-f individual and separate inward movement, means tending to oppose the said inward movement of the parts of the center ring, a set o adjustable dogs on said cylinder and with the center ring defining the margins of a sheet to be printed, the set comprising three dogs per full sheet size plate, and the center dog of the set being divided in a longitudinal direction, separate adjustment screws for each of the parts of the divided center dogs, to permit individual adjustment thereof, and further adjustable plate holding means on said cylinder between said ring and said dogs, to adjustably position and retain on the cylinder plates of sizes constituting predetermined fractions of a sheetsize plate.

8. As an element of a plate cylinder of a rotary printing press, a center margin ring adapted to fit in an annular recess disposed about the middle of the cylinder, the said ring comprising two separate ring portions substantially equal in width, the said ring being divided circumferentially into plate-engaging parts, raised bevelled edges on said plate-engaging parts, for engaging the plates, said raised bevelled edges having cuts or recesses therein, anchor plates in said cuts or recesses, retaining means extending through said anchor plates and slidably securing said ring in said annular recess, each said separate ring portion having a plurality of holes therein, and compression springs in said holes abutting the other ring portion, tending to separate them and to force them against the walls of said annular groove.

9. As an element of a plate cylinder of a rotary printing press, a set ci quadrants in said cylinder for holding the inner edges of plates of less than full page size, said quadrants being disposed in pairs side by side circumferentially about the cylinder, fastening means for securing the quadrants in their adjusted position to the cylinder, and permitting movement of the quadrants longitudinally of the cylinder prior to said securing, compression springs disposed between the quadrants of each pair tending to separate them, and link` means interconnecting the quadrants of each pair to limit the extent of separation therebetween.

10. As an element of an improved plate cylinder of a double width rotary cylinder press, inner dogs divided into halves and movable in a dogway, a rotatable rod projecting through two cooperating halves, collar means for holding one half dog on one end of said rod, a shoulder on said rod against which the other half dog is slidably held, a compression spring holding said other half dog against said shoulder, tending to separate the cooperating half dogs, a cammed portion on said rod within that half dog which abuts the collar, opposed key means within said last-mentioned half said cammed portion and for movement outwardly to engage the dogway on rotation of said rod, and means at the outer end of said rod for facilitating the rotation thereof.

CHARLES WILLIAM SWIFT.

dcg for engagement with'- 

